


After

by TooLateToFall



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Angst, Angsty-fluff?, Character Death, Family, Fluff, Funeral, Gen, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-13 21:39:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10522425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooLateToFall/pseuds/TooLateToFall
Summary: Scott and Sara learn to cope after their mother's passing.Set pre-andromeda, no spoilers.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Astermix for being my beta. You're the best!
> 
> Set pre-andromeda. No spoilers ahead, promise. (I mean, aside from Ellen's death, but I think everybody knows mama ryder is dead? If you think I should tag this as spoilers, let me know)
> 
> EDIT: Planning to re-write. Stay tuned.

Their mother’s memorial passes in a blur of platitudes, flowers, distant relatives, and relative strangers. Every time they turn around, someone is throwing their arms about them, ready to offer their condolences or their shoulder. 

 

_ I’m so sorry for your loss. _

 

_ If you need  _ anything _ at all- _

 

_ She’s in a better place now. _

 

_ Your mother was such a special woman- _

 

_ Really, if there’s anything I can do- _

 

By the time the last of guests are starting to leave, Sara’s practically numb from going through the motions and Scott’s nowhere to be found. Sara wants to be mad at him for making his escape, but she can’t be.  _ He’s probably hiding in the bedroom closet anyway. _

 

“Sara, querida,” Sara turns her attention to her aunt Gabriela, who loops her arm around the young woman’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go find your brother, and we’ll start cleaning up.” She’s never been so grateful to follow someone else’s lead. Tia Gabriela has been a godsend in the last few unsteady days after Ellen’s death, planning the service and communicating with the rest of their family. “Before you go, though, have you seen your father?”

 

“I think he’s in their room,” Sara sighs, “I haven’t seen him since people started arriving. You know how he is.” Gabriela  _ tsk _ s at this.

 

“I’ll talk to him.” 

 

“It’s probably easier to just let him be.”

 

The older woman places a hand on Sara’s shoulder and squeezes. “He should be out here with you and Scott. Let me handle him. Go find your brother.”

 

Sara doesn’t bother pointing out that nobody ‘handles’ Alec Ryder. Instead, she does as she’s told and begins the search for Scott. 

 

It doesn’t take long. As expected, she find him in their bedroom’s closet. 

 

“Sara-” he starts, looking sheepish as the door falls open. 

 

“It’s okay. Scoot over.” She squats down, and clears a spot among the shoes on the closet’s floor, tucks herself into the space beside her brother. Her hand reaches for his and she squeezes. “You doing alright?”

 

He squeezes back. “I- yeah. I’m okay. I’m sorry- I didn’t mean to leave you out there alone. I-”

 

“It’s okay, I know it's a lot. I’m not mad, Scott.” She leans her head back against the wall and closes her eyes. “Mostly I just wish I’d thought of it first.” That earns a dry chuckle from her twin.

 

“Is everyone gone now?”

 

“Tia, Rafael, and Lucas are still here. They’re starting to clean up.”

 

“Dad?”

 

“Still in hiding.” 

 

“Figures,” huffs Scott. He leans his head against hers. “What about you? Are you doing okay?”

 

“I’ve been asked that question so many times today that it’s lost all meaning.” Scott notices the slight tremble in her voice and squeezes her hand in hope of a real answer. She acquiesces. “I don’t know, Scott. I’ll be fine. It’s just weird right now, you know? She’s just-” her voice cracks. “Gone.”

 

“Yeah.” 

 

“It doesn’t feel real yet. I keep thinking she’s going to walk in the door. Things shouldn’t be so normal without her.”

 

“It feels like the world should have ended by now, right?” Scott guesses, his words catching in his throat. He can feel his eyes starting to tear up again. 

 

“Exactly.” Sara’s eyes are starting to water too. She glances at him, then elbows him in the side, making a face. “Please don’t cry. If you cry, I’m going to cry, then-” a tear slips down her cheek, and she curses under her breath as several more follow. “Fuck, now I’m crying again.” 

 

Scott laughs in spite of his own tears, then takes a shuddering breath. “We should go help clean up.” He starts to push himself up, but his sister pulls him back down. 

 

“Let Tia handle it.” She hiccups, then wipes her nose on her dress sleeve. “I’m not going out there like this.”

 

By the time the twins have regained their composure and joined their aunt and cousins back in the apartment’s main room, everything’s cleaned up. The leftover food’s been boxed up and put away, the numerous bouquets of flowers have been organized, and all but the prettiest have been taken outside. Cards still waiting to be opened sit on the counter beside stacks and stacks of old photographs. To neither twin's surprise, Alec is nowhere to be seen. 

 

“We’re going home,” their aunt tells them, giving the twins a fierce hug, “but if you two need anything,  _ anything _ , conte-me, yeah?” She presses a kiss to each of their cheeks as they nod.

 

“We will. Thank you.” It’s the first time all day that the offer of support has felt genuine, not just something people say. That in and of itself is enough to make them tear up again. 

 

With Tia and their cousins gone, the apartment feels cold and empty. 

 

“Should we check on dad?” 

 

Scott shrugs, but doesn’t stop Sara as she moves towards the door. 

 

There’s no response when she knocks. 

 


End file.
